I’ve been shooting as much as possible with Oliver, who leaves in August for college. He’s been in art photos for me since around 3rd grade. By now, he knows a lot about my work, and as a model he can be very patient and intuitive. We both read Paul Coelho’s book The Alchemist during the pandemic, and I started a project photographing him as the protagonist.
At first I was focussed on finding ways to interpret vignettes and moments from the book. Over time I’ve moved on to themes that include transformation, exploration, and transition. Some of the photos that I like the best are some of the in-between moments, when he is not acting the part or doing something I’m asking him to do, but maybe he is just petting the cat. In that way, portraits of him as a person are also part of it. I also realize some of the photos are about our relationship, too, and our journey as a small family of mother and son.